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Friday, 14 December 2012

Christmas with The Hobbit ...

Christmas
is a-coming – it is the launch of The Hobbit – the film ... and last night I
was able to do something I thought I’d never get to do on this blog ... beat
many of you to see a film.

Mary Pax' poster design

Our
film society had its latest showing on Wednesday and I was wondering if I
needed to get back for SkyFall before they took it off – but to my surprise
noticed The Hobbit was showing the next day – I thought it only opened today on
the 14th ....

So as
SkyFall is still on ... off I went to meet up with the curious Hobbit. He must have been surprised to find in this ‘retirement’
town on the south coast of little England – the outskirts of Middle Earth – a cinema
practically empty – luxury!!

An Art Deco cabinet - that would look not out of place at Bag End

The
film is brilliant and I’ll be so looking forward to reading your thoughts on
the movie, once you get to see it ... Alex I know will want to be first ... but
nota bene – I beat you to it Capn Alex
Joseph Ninja!

Curiouser
and curiouser ... oh that comes from a much more recent book and I thought it
was an ‘old phrase’ (interesting how
quickly that has come into my mind’s (at least) psyche ...

Bilbo
appears from his Down the Rabbit Hole
– but as we know Tolkien, on marking exam papers – got bored! – found a blank
page ... and wrote the immortal words: In
a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit ...

Fruit and Flowers at Fortnums (homely!)

I’d
love to live in Bilbo’s hole in the ground – it seemed extraordinarily homely
... lovely creamy woods, full of food – pantries of it ... so don’t go hungry,
because you’ll have a rumbling tum ... mind you you’ll work it off in the chases!

Rewind
a few years (regrettably a few decades) I remember being daunted by my
grandmother’s Christmas present to us all, though I doubt my brothers remember
as I must have only been 8; this big box arrived from Fortnum and Mason’s ...

Fortnum and Mason £ breaking hamper

... it
was full of all kinds of goodies I expect, but was definitely not what we were
used to ... I’m sure it had biscuits, teas, jams, chocolates etc, lots of toys –
but the thing I remember (and always have) was a book: The Hobbit.

I read
voraciously ... but could never get my head into that book then or later,
perhaps now is the time of change. The
imagination required from this youngster was obviously not there ... also my
grandmother died soon afterwards, and my father was not very well ... so no
guidance would have been available to help with reading it.

That
Christmas box with the book The Hobbit remains embedded in my memory ...

British Library's poster of Hobbiton Hill

On one
of my forays to the British Library I spotted that there was a lecture on 21 September
– 75 years to the day after the first publication of The Hobbit – I thought of
you ...

An Art Deco panther ... possibly a model forthe deadly Wark?

It was
fascinating, choc-a-block, and I just sat mesmerised listening, without taking
notes (I’m sorry to say – I should have had a tape recorder for this one).

The
speakers were brilliant ... the main thing that stood out in my mind, was one
of the speakers saying that all great stories come from the heart, written
without thought for publication ...

... often
written for children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, or young friends with no
intent in mind, other than to tell a mighty good yarn – which purely by default
turns into a masterpiece ... many that we know: Wind in the Willows, Alice
through the Looking Glass, The Hobbit ...

Oh and
one other snippet I remembered: on the early dust-cover the red sun had to be
taken out ... because in pre-war Britain they could only use three colours ...

Just had to add in thisArt Deco staircase madefrom golden wood(warm and homely too)

So to
celebrate with you all fellow Hobbit Festers c/o Mary Pax and Tyrean and her writing spot ... this has been my personal history of The Hobbit – and now it looks like I
must clamber down my hobbit hole to read the book, then see the film again – no
doubt with a fuller audience.

*The
cinema can now show HD films – and this has enabled us to see films that we
might have missed ... this week's being the very British 1943 updated version of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp ...

Yes, you beat the ninja captain to the movies!I've never read The Hobbit. I started to read Lord of the Rings before but couldn't stand Tom Bombadil so gave up. I noticed he's not in the LotR movie so many other people didn't like him either. :)

Love the Hobbit and looking forward to seeing the movie. My old paperback copy -- which I may have somewhere -- was well read, well used, cover missing, spine broken through multiple reads my me and our oldest daughter. I do have a newer hard bound copy, a present, I think from oldest daughter.

@ ELizabeth - you and the family will love the film .. and I think I did beat everyone to it! Oh yes .. thankfully his mind too was full of other ideas - I know someone else like that, who uses the aka Spann-Riley!, but has a head full of multiple creative thoughts ...

@ Laura - he's not even here yet ... I must give the Hobbit another go and see if I can get into Tolkien's head a little .. The Lord of the Rings films I haven't seen, let alone read the books ..

@ A Lady's Life - lucky you ... being able to enter Tolkien's world ... you must have been so absorbed.

@ Tonja - lucky me!

@ Keith - I have yet to see the Lord of the Rings trilogy .. soon perhaps.

@ Betsy - yup I got lucky .. good thing my eyes were working! I need to see LOTR trilogy though ..

@ Mike - you'll love the film ... and obviously passed on your love to the family ... I do have a copy I think - but it's practically untouched I think!

@ Ella - oh goodie .. pastries and chocolate would be good, though then I'll need tea ... the hot tamales will have to wait!

I hope your brother can find your copy - for your kids .. I enjoyed sharing my memory bank - good to have those memories down here ..

@ Luanne - I know - not even half empty ... just plain empty - but they're anticipating the crowds, Skyfall has been downgraded to the smaller theatre to make way for The Hobbit upstairs in the larger room.

Ah, you've made me so excited over the Hobbit that I must insist my husband see it sooner than soon. I love the actor Martin Freeman from the Sherlock series. The lady reviewer on the morning news said it okay, but too violent. That surprised me. Glad you chose to review it so I have a 2nd opinion!

Loved reading your memory of getting the box. Little things like that are the coolest childhood memories. I never read The Hobbit either. I read voraciously my whole life, and even tried to read it out loud to my kids once I reached adulthood, but I could never get into the story. I hear The Lord of the Rings is much better, although I'll admit to never having read that either. haha.

Well done Hilary beating the Ninja to The Hobbit. There was such a hoo-ha down here in the Southern Hemisphere when it premiered in NZ, of course where it was made. It's going to be such a hit. Great Hobbit post.

I dare say I shall await the DVD - but lucky you seeing The Hobbit first! The Hobbit was the book we were given to read in English lessons aged eleven. I remember it well and I enjoyed it back then. I have also read Lord of the Rings and seen it at the cinema but funnily enough, I prefer the Hobbit any day. As always your posts is full of interesting links Hilary, thank you :-)

Lovely post, Hilary! The Hobbit was a big favourite of mine when I was a child, but I never had to read it myself! It was always read to me...lovely!. So glad you enjoyed the film. Maybe this is one for me too.

@ Old Kitty - it was lovely to see it so early on ... such a great story ... yes - it was a big box!

@ Joylene - oh good .. enjoy. There's so many great actors in the film .. they're there all the time, though very disguised! They had to beat the enemy somehow ... but I didn't think any more about it .. just loved seeing how they animated it ..

@ Janie - well the two of you will love the film, and I sure hope The Hurricane will enjoy your company ..

@ Tamara - many thanks .. my only 8 year old memory .. I think! It's interesting to read many had it read to them in school ... I must now give the book another go.

I couldn't get into the LOR films .. so they needs a revisit as too the book .. you'll enjoy The Hobbit ..

@ Denise - well it was to be able to write that I'd beaten the Cap'n for the one and only time. I bet there was a rush and lots of promotion going on down under ..

@ Patsy - I probably go a fair amount simply because our film society is SO GOOD and they recommend films too .. don't see a lot of mainstream films. I can walk down to it too ..

@ Ana - I realise how much I missed early on, in my life, by not going to the good films ..

@ Summer - good to see you, and I'm pleased to come and visit you at your blog .. you're doing so much for your children ..

@ Deborah - you'll enjoy the DVD too; perhaps if I'd had it to read in school .. I'd have got into it and appreciated the imagination - perhaps I was too young. Glad you enjoyed the links ...

@ Gwen - nice to meet you .. yes Joseph the J stands for ... glad you spotted the original cover - or perhaps yours had the red sun shining through ...when more than 3 colours could be used in the printing process.

@ Sandie - have fun when the family gets to see it ... I'm sure grandson will love it.

@ Chuck - I'd have loved to have read it at school - failed! Wonderful that you enjoyed it so much.

Thanks for the invite .. I'm a-thinking ... I have lots going on to finish my year off tidily!!

@ Val - perhaps being read to would be the thing ... I've always thought that's a good way to read books I might struggle with ...

Definitely get to the film if you can - Holland I'm sure has cinemas!?!

Cheers everyone enjoy this bit of freedom before the final Christmas rush ... Hilary

I loved reading your personal history with The Hobbit: the special package from your grandmother, the three-color cover, the poster of Hobbiton Hill.

So many generations of children have and will read this wondrous tale. My only regret about reading the Hobbit now is that I can never enter that world again for the FIRST time. That was truly special because I shared Bilbo's story aloud with my son. I think we read every night long after both of us should have been asleep.

Hilary, I'm loving your trip down memory lane. Can you believe that I've never seen the Hobbit? I generally see a couple of movies over the holiday season so I will check into this. Thanks for writing about it. Merry Christmas to you!

@ Talli .. oh you're so lucky - you'd have all the inuendos .. I do hope you can get to see it - before Master TR appears ...

@ Lee - strange to be able to bring those memories to 'print' as such ...

I know the first time - but our imaginations grow don't they - or come from angles that we've never thought of ... being a non-writer til I started blogging has been an eye opener .. imaginative creative skills abound ..

@ Cherie - yes I got very lucky .. it was wonderful being able to concentrate as the cinema wasn't full ..

@ Davina - good to see you .. well the film has only just come out .. so you can catch up very soon!

It's so worth a movie to see .. but there are rather a lot of good films out there ..

No nothing predictable from me like, I try to make a Hobbit of commenting on your blog! No, that would be way too predictable.

I shall be trying to persuade my son to come along with me and watch the movie. Fascinating info you have submitted. And once again, I note that Tolkien stayed in Leek and evidently the locals inspired the characters in his books. Yes, noting some of the locals, I can understand the inspiration :)

Near Leek is a town named "Biddulph". Sounds suspiciously like it should be the name of a character in a Tolkien book...

Well Hilary, you've beaten me to it, and it was launched right here in NZ. Fascinating to hear your early history with The Hobbit. I didn't get into it the first time, but then I read it aloud to my son and became totally immersed. Hope you enjoy the book this time round.PS I've been off line and will be back at the bach for the week before Christmas, dial-up only, but will have a good catch up when I return.

I also adored reading the Hobbit and cried when one of the characters (an elf king, I believe) died, but couldn't get into LoR. I am looking forward to seeing the film between Christmas & New Year with Hubby & friends.

We are off to see Breaking Dawn Pt2 today, for our wedding anniversary. x

I've got to see that film. I first read the Hobbit at 17 years and was memsmerized. My roommate said I could have been a Hobbit (since I'm petite), but no hairy toes.

I just don't like underground places that much. In the side of the hill, okay. A hole in the ground - there wouldn't be any windows, I don't know if I'd like that. But the story lives in my heart. And I love old Gandalf.

Love the photos, Hilary. Lucky you getting an early showing. Hope your holidays are great!

You're so lucky to have seen the movie already! I can't wait to see it too. And that box from Fortnum and Mason's sounds amazing. When I visited London years ago my friend took me there and I got several types of tea that I still have today, though it's almost all gone. Guess I need to make a trip back for more. (:

I think I get to see this next week; I'm so looking forward to it. I'm glad the book has been around for you all these years to enjoy when the time was right. I'm glad you enjoyed the movie. I think I'd enjoy living in a Hobbit hole too :)

@ Glynis - you'll enjoy it - will it get to Cyprus soon?! Thanks so much for my win .. delighted and look forward to downloading it ..

@ Donna - you'll love it .. sadly the actual book went whichever way .. but if I don't have a copy here - I'll get another one to read the first 7 chapters and see how I go - that's as far as this first film take us!! A Hobbit hole seemed pretty comfortable ...

@ Ros - you'll love the film - it's very easy going .. and I thoroughly enjoyed it - I think you should accommodate Mr A!!

I read The Hobbit for the first time when I was very young too. How lovely to receive it as a gift with so many other hobbit-ish gooides! Just saw the movie yesterday - it's nice to see the dwarves having more screen space than they were given in The Lord of the Rings films.

@ Gattina - a very English book! I know .. that year we were very lucky, but I expect only I remember ... and it was that book that sang out!

@ Ellie - yes - I sure did beat the Cap'n!! amazing wasn't it!! The film was lovely .. I'm glad I went.

@ Deniz .. hobbitish goodies - yes - good jam, teas, chocolates ... but our house wasn't as comfortable as Bilbo's!! I have to see the LOTR films now before Hobbit 2 and 3 come out ... so pleased you enjoyed it though ..

It *is* an amazing world, Tolkien's crafted, isn't it? The detail and the feeling he brings is incredible. Though it took me years to appreciate---I'm afraid I wasn't a fan when I was young--but that was with all reading ;-)

Good for you getting in on "the ground floor", so to speak. Don't tell anyone, but I've never read any of the hobbit books. Maybe it's time to change that, huh? This movie just might inspire me to do just that.

My grandson who has autism and I went to see The Hobbit in 3D! Three hours two bags of popcorn, two huge containers of lemonade later, I staggered out of the theater. It was amazing, but I enjoyed spending time with Joshua who whispered in my ear to explain who the characters were.

Hilary,You do so speak the truth that we humans get so tied up in our own worlds, we forget others. That is what happened to me this summer and I'm so sorry, I had no knowledge of your Mother's passing. You wrote a positive post of hope for the New Year. I seem to have misplaced mine, so I read your post several times.Thank youMerry Christmas and a very bright New Year.

Art Deco ROCKS!! And over here homely means "not especially appealing to the eye." Homey is the word here for warm and cozy places. funny, eh these language differences?

How lucky to have had the theater practically to yourself for a special viewing, that ROCKS!!

I remember my brother Joe reading the Hobbit Series in high school. I never have read them -- was introduced to the whole story via the Grande Trilogy en film a few years back, the first which I believe SWEPT the Oscars that year. Poor Finding Nemo -- one of the top 10 kids movies ever, swept into virtual oblivion by Lord Of The Rings.

Anyway.....

we used to get such Christmas goody parcels from an exotic place called Toronto. Then, when Grandmother returned for the summer via rail, there'd be a whole trunk FULL of amazing things. My fave was a tin tea set she brought back to me. She died when I was 6. That was my dad's mom -- Carrie was her name.

Lovely post.

Long live good over evil Mordor and all her peons. Or is that paeons? Pawns, I guess we could say.

Hi Jannie - Art Deco does rock doesn't it ... "homely" is the same as yours .. cozy, warm ... if it was not that appealing - it's probably because it's cluttered ... but yes, as we experience different turns of phrase on each side of the Atlantic .. sometime we need to stop and think what's being said.

The little cinema in town is an extremely valuable asset ... it also hosts the film society shows.

LOTR was on tv over Christmas ... but I couldn't bring myself to watch - felt too ill at that stage. It'll be interesting to see what happens this year to the Hobbit ...

You too had the experience of exotic Christmas parcels from Toronto ... lovely remembrance of the tea set ... so many things for a little girl to do with one. Sad she died while you were so young .. lovely name Carrie ...

Long live healing, recuperative song ... as you do so well -

Pronunciation is another discussion for another day! Happy New Year and much success in 2013 - especially for those paeans ahead ... xoxoxoxoxoox

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About Me

A lover of life – who after London, spent time in South Africa; an administrator, sports lover, who enjoys cooking and entertaining ... who through her mother’s illness found a new passion – writing, in particular blogging; which provides an opportunity for future exploration, by the daughter, who has (in her 3rd age years) found a love of historical education. Curiosity didn’t kill this cat – interaction is the key! Now moved to Vancouver Island, Canada for 'a while' - not forever ...